


Happy Birthday, /Mer/lin

by how_about_no



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: And Mine, Birthday, Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Fluff, IT'S MERLINS BIRTHDAY EVERYONE, M/M, Oblivious Merlin, POV Merlin, Pining Arthur, Pre-Slash, Surprise Kissing, i am writing this as my own birthday present
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 06:52:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7924840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/how_about_no/pseuds/how_about_no
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's birthday is usually an unnoticed affair, but today Arthur was planning something extra special.</p><p>or</p><p>“Good morning, sire.” Merlin walked into Arthur’s quarters, speaking especially loudly to wake the man up, expecting him to still be sleeping. Instead, he was welcomed with the sights and smells of a huge breakfast banquet. Silently, he raised his eyebrows at the sight, “Sire?”<br/>“Merlin!” Arthur grinned, straightening up from where he was fussing over the platters, “I thought I’d- um- help.”<br/>“Help?”<br/>“Yes, help.”<br/>“You don’t help.” Merlin laughed, smirking at the offended scoff that came from Arthur immediately after.<br/>“I help all the time!” Arthur yelled, “I’m very-”<br/>“Helpful?” Merlin offered.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday, /Mer/lin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [louise_lynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/louise_lynn/gifts).



> It's short, fluffy and shit
> 
> self indulgent 
> 
> it's my birthday i do what i want

Needless to say, Merlin had slept fitfully. He couldn’t stop thinking about how close Arthur had come to death a few days before, staring down a centaur with malicious intent and ten times his own strength. His lip had curled back, and his jaw set in determination as he started to charge, spear first. Merlin knew he couldn’t win.

He had thrown his hand up, whispering words he didn’t know he knew, to strengthen the spear head that Arthur held. It worked, somewhat. The centaur went down with a thud, shaking the ground around them with its heavy mass. For a moment, relief ran through Merlin and he heaved a sigh, almost starting to smile at the close call.

It quickly went away when Arthur collapsed too.

As per his MO, he was recovering quickly and noisily in his bed chambers, Merlin tending to his every need. Nightmares still struck him, despite the danger having passed.

It wasn’t something he was happy about, especially with the day it was.

Many years ago, in a little village, a squirming baby was born, graced with the name ‘Merlin’.

Poor sap had no idea what his chubby little self would get into when he was older.

“Good morning, sire.” Merlin walked into Arthur’s quarters, speaking especially loudly to wake the man up, expecting him to still be sleeping. Instead, he was welcomed with the sights and smells of a huge breakfast banquet. Silently, he raised his eyebrows at the sight, wondering if Arthur had suffered a blow to the head as well as stomach, “Sire?”

“Merlin!” Arthur grinned, straightening up from where he was fussing over the platters. He grimaced when he stood up to quickly, and cupped his side with a hand, gesturing with the other, “I thought I’d- um- help.”

“Help?”

“Yes, help.”

“You don’t help.” Merlin laughed, smirking at the offended scoff that came from Arthur immediately after.

“I help all the time!” Arthur yelled, “I’m very-”

“Helpful?” Merlin offered.

“Yes.”

“No, you’re not,” Merlin crossed his arms, then freed one of them to point at the table, “What is this actually for? Did you get put under a spell or something?”

“Don’t joke about things like that, Merlin.” Arthur hissed, “I just thought I’d- I’d do something nice for once.”

“You’re not n-”

“Don’t,” Arthur pointed, “Just sit, and eat. That’s an order.”

Merlin considered the other man for a moment, then looked down at the food. There were eggs, bacon, various vegetables and bread platters that looked so soft and fresh that it made his mouth water. Sure there would be a catch, he still hesitated.

“I-”

“Merlin, I swear to God if you don’t sit down right now I will kick you so hard up the backside you’ll be able to taste the leather of my boot.”

Merlin sat.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to eat all this.” Merlin commented, already piling bread and meat onto his plate with gusto.

“Well, _Mer_ lin. It’s not all for you, is it? I am the prince after all.”

“Of course.” Merlin smiled as Arthur sat down adjacent to him, then narrowed his eyes, “Is this because it’s my-”

“Shut up and eat.”

Merlin shut up and ate.

*

It was beginning to become suspicious. The amount that Arthur was going out of his way to be nice to Merlin was getting past the comfortable point. Not only had he not given him any chores, he had actively done them _himself._ He had drawn his own bath, dressed himself, polished his own armour, all while sending Merlin to do menial things like check up on all the knights and see how they were doing.

Really, they ended up being social calls, which is probably what Arthur intended.

Merlin had no idea how Arthur had found out about his birthday. Last year he had been visiting his mother when it happened, and the year before that it went by unnoticed. So why now? Who told him?

Every time Merlin expected a hit, or to have something thrown at him, nothing happened. He just looked like a fool, flinching at nothing.

“Merlin,” Arthur said when Merlin silently entered his chambers when he was done chatting with Percival, “Grab some things, we’re going hunting.”

“Hunting?” Merlin groaned.

“Yes, Merlin,” Arthur smirked, “Hunting. It’s this thing real men do, though you wouldn’t know a thing about that, would you?”

“Not a thing, sire.” Merlin sighed, and headed out of the room to grab his satchel, Arthur’s huff of laughter seeing him off.

*

For nearly the entirety of their walk, Arthur walked with purpose and without looking around them for potential prey. Merlin would’ve put it down as odd, but maybe Arthur had a sixth sense for animals. It was plausible.

There were twigs here, trip-up-able stones there, loud rustling to the right, animals bustling to the left. It was all a safety hazard, really. It was a shock that Merlin hadn’t tripped up already.

“Merlin!” Arthur shouted in exasperation when Merlin went face down in some moss.

“Sorry.” Merlin muttered, spitting out some green fluff and wiping away mud from his mouth as he jumped to his feet. It was bound to happen. _Destiny._

“God, don’t kill yourself before we get to the damn place.”

“Place?” Merlin scrambled to catch up when Arthur marched off again, “Since when was there a place for hunting? I thought we just used to whole forest.”

“You never pay attention, do you, Merlin?” Arthur commented with raised eyebrows, “If you did, you’d be dangerous.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“I know you’re a nitwit,” Arthur held up a finger, then another, “I know you can’t do anything right,” Another, “I also know you’re incompetent at chess-”

“Hey now,” Merlin laughed, “I beat you one time.”

“I wonder how.” Arthur said blankly, then sped up so Merlin trailed behind again. With a roll of his eyes, Merlin made peace with the fact that he was probably going to be doing so for the rest of this boring trip. That is, until Arthur suddenly stopped, “Here.” He adjusted his red, loose fitting top, then walked forwards towards a set up scarily similar to a picnic.

“Are you expecting someone?” Merlin asked, putting his bag down by a tree not too far from the blanket.

“No.” Arthur said with crossed arms, like a challenge.

“No?” Merlin repeated, “You’re going to have a picnic by yourself? I knew you were a clotpole, Arthur, but this is just a new low.”

“I’m not eating _alone,_ Merlin,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes and sitting down on one side of the blanket, helping himself to a grape, “I never eat alone.”

“What do you-” Merlin’s eyes widened- “Oh.”

“ _Oh._ ” Arthur repeated mockingly, plopping another grape into his mouth. He stared at Merlin, unblinking, as if daring him to say something. Instead, Merlin moved to sit beside Arthur, and picked up a piece of bread that was laid at the top of a pile in a basket.

“Who put all this out here? I’m usually the one that has to do all this.”

“I had the knights help.” Arthur shrugged, “Gwaine was particularly keen. I’m not sure why I even let him be involved, he’s probably put something in the wine.”

“Wine?”

“Yes, Merlin, wine. It’s this alcoholic beverage made of-”

“I know what wine is, Arthur.” Merlin glared, feeling a curl of satisfaction in his stomach when Arthur smiled.

“Well, anyway, they all came out here while I was taking us on a D tour right around the forest.” He smiled cheekily, and Merlin felt himself gasp.

“You arse!” Merlin slapped the man’s arm, “You made me walk more, on my birthday of all days!”

“Oh, so now he tells me.” Arthur’s smile fell into something more genuine, private, and Merlin had to take a moment to remind himself that kissing someone isn’t really the formal way of showing gratitude.

“I didn’t think you’d care.” Merlin said honestly, shrugging.

“You do tend to be wrong a lot.”

“How did you find out, anyway?” Merlin chewed on his bread, and gathered more food in his lap, feeling his appetite heighten for the first time in days, “Only Gaius knows and-” Merlin paused- “Gaius told you didn’t he.”

“Less told, more answered.” Arthur smiled slightly again, “I asked a while ago in case the information became relevant.”

“And has it?”

“Information concerning you is always relevant, to me.”

“Oh.” Arthur said it so sincerely, with such certainty and confidence, that it made Merlin stop and just stare. He had seen Arthur be kind, to Morgana, to Gwen, to his people, but never had that kindness really been directed towards _Merlin_ before. Apart from in life or death situations, of course.

“Look at that blush,” Arthur teased, poking Merlin’s cheek, “You’re such a girl.”

“And you’re such a _prat.”_

“ _Royal_ prat, Merlin.” Arthur shook his head, looking at Merlin in fake distain, “Don’t forget ‘royal’.”

“Did you-” Merlin stopped himself, wishing he didn’t sound so pathetic and love struck- “Did you really do all this for me?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

“Well-” Arthur’s gaze fell on him from where it was wandering around the trees, and it was considering, careful- “I can’t have a dissatisfied manservant. Finding another would be such a task.”

“Arthur.”

“Fine,” The other man sighed, “I wanted to do something nice for you. Because I like seeing you happy.” Arthur pursed his lips, “And I like it even more when I’m the cause.”

“Oh.”

“Is that all you’re going to say?” Arthur laughed nervously, “Oh? What kind of idiotic, imbecilic, little-?”

That was the moment that Merlin decided enough was enough, and shut Arthur up with a kiss.

*

It went back to normal after that, really. Arthur was still a prat, Merlin was still an idiot, but they belonged to each other. They had no idea what the future held, or how it would all pan out, but Merlin thought he finally understood what Kilgharrah called _destiny._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this quick little thing :)
> 
> Tumblr- girlsf0rgirls


End file.
